Misinformation through photos

Taking photos has become a norm in todays society whether it be saving memories, taking selfies, or even proof during a court trial. It is no doubt that it has made society a better place. But what can be used for good can also be used for bad. An image can be represented and interpreted completely different depending on the way it’s taken. When a taking a picture, some parts of a frame could be excluded—hiding some things—or more parts could be added—throwing off the audience and confusing them. And the caption associated with the picture could also be the determining factor of what it’s showing. Pictures could also be photoshopped which can change the actual contents of the photo and alter the image. While this may not seem as that big of a problem, as it’s very hard to pull of such trickery, the recent growth in the development of AI can definitely affect this.  The previous examples are mostly done by people that have some sort of experience in photography or photoshopping which already creates a barrier to entry. But using AI to create an image is as simple as typing what you want as an image and the AI providing it. Moreover, AI is available to everybody for free and it’s attainable by a simple google search. One such example of an image creating AI is DALL-E. But DALL-E prohibits the use of their AI for any inappropriate or controversial topics that may be created. This implementation alone can stop many people from creating bad images in their paths. But the AI framework alone is available for everyone to use meaning there are thousands of clones just like DALL-E that don’t have a terms of service or limitations. This means that the manipulation of photography can’t really be stopped unless there are laws set forth that limits the extent to which someone can use this technology.